Sometimes you might need to change the attributes of a table column, for instance to increase the column capacity due to changed requirements, increased data amount, or lack of data capacity planning. Here are the typical actions for altering a column in an SQL Server table:
- Change the data type: This is usually when you come close to the maximum value supported by the actual data type (typically from smallint to int, or from int to bigint).
- Change the size: This is a common case for poorly planned string columns; the current column size cannot accept all the required data.
- Change the precision: This is when you need to store more precise data, usually due to changed requirements.
- Change the collation: This is when you ...